The Ghostly Ravagers
by Khu
Summary: It's been 4 years since the Human Covenant War, but dissent is growing between the uneasy allies...
1. Prologue

"Ken..."

"In a sec sir." Ken squirmed through the various AI guarding the security cameras.

"Got it. Security cameras are now mine. Relaying false feed now." He saluted to the Captain down below. "You're clear, sir."

"Good. Everyone, quickly, past these cameras. Ken, make sure you have a firm hold of those cameras."

"Yes sir."

The rest of his squad moved stealthily along the corridor, towards the security station. They burst in, and killed the guards in there.

"Hua, relocate, head down here."

"Okay sir."

Ken packed up his laptop and bugging fibre optic cable, and hurried along to the security station. He flexed his fingers earnestly. "Whaddya want me to do?"

"Make security go dark, keep those guns trained on them, and make sure you make it look like a power shortage."

"Right." Ken's hands danced across the keyboard. He took out a USB stick, inserted, and a young woman started talking through the speakers.

"Finally, I thought that would never end. Now what?"

"I need you to hack into the gun system. Keep them trained on the rebels, Dana."

"Righty."

Ken immediately overloaded the cameras' circuits. He overloaded the lights, and anything connected to the power grid except the security station.

"Okay, still got those guns?"

"Yup. There's 2 outside this security station."

"Okay. I'm gonna leave you here. Make sure you don't get taken away from me."

"Yeah."

Ken radioed the Captain. "Cameras offline, lights offline, enemy activity though, recommend switching to thermal."

"Noted. Switching to thermal now."

Ken swept down the corridor to join his teammates. His team were preparing to breach the innermost room. There was the leader of the rebels with his elite guard inside...

"Right. Mendoza and I will take the left. Ken and Alex will take the right. Michael and Daniel will take the front, leaving Ron and Van to take the back. Flashbang on Zulu."

The team split up in different directions. Their silenced weapons destroyed the guard outside.

"Okay, everyone, on my mark..." The Captain's voice crackled through the comm. Ken pulled out a flashbang.

"3, 2, 1, mark!"  
Ken opened the door, and threw the flashbang in. He covered his eyes and ducked behind the door. He heard the flash and his ears were ringing – he drew his MA5C while Alex dispatched of the immediate threats, and he followed him in, covering their backs. The room was quite large, and already trenches had been set; the Captain and the rest of the team were on the other side of the room, crouched behind a metal table – the rebels were behind 4 walls with windows, obviously expecting an attack. Alex and Ken were hidden by swinging doors.

"I've got a bad – "

"Don't say it!" Alex put a finger to his lips. "If you say it, then something bad WILL happen. It happened to me TWICE! Once on my first date, and the second at my Maths 4 unit HSC exam!"

"Whatever. Oh, SHIT. I'm picking up movement outside. Looks like the rebels were just rolling out the welcome mat."

[UNEXPECTED END]

[ALERT UNAUTHORISED ACCESS!]

"About time someone showed up."


	2. Chapter 1: Revival

**  
****Chapter 1 - Revival**

Lowering the M6G, I saw that it was Sara, the rascal. She had just joined the Earth SSS (Special Space Service). She'd taken up my job as techie. Dana was in her psychologist form, seated in a chair above the holopad. I'd now moved up a bit, now second in command of the squad. I was 25, she was 23, and had spent the past 2 years in regular service.

Sara looked round, like a trapped cat. She saluted a bit shakily, wondering what would happen at the hands of her Lieutenant.

I just smiled, ruffled her hair and said, "I really oughta upgrade the security on my account. Maybe include a wedgie defence system."

She relaxed, and smiled. "Just wanted to test my skills, sir."

"Don't worry about it." She seemed restless, shifting from foot to foot.

"What's wrong?"

"Well..." she began, then seemed to compose herself. "Why do you refer to yourself in the third person in your mission logs?"

I winked. "Why not? Could be a book."

She was the kind of girl that, when she was 13, often hugged anything cute. She made that kind of strangled "Ooh!" scream that they often do, and hugged me. I hugged her back, and then she withdrew, he face burning.

"Sorry."

"Never mind that. We're childhood friends, it's fine..."

She turned back to the computer. The mission log was still on the screen. She beckoned for me to read...

Dana cleared her throat, and I looked at my virtual partner.

"Captain Mitchell wishes to see you in the briefing room. Seems like another check of the asteroids, just to be safe."

"Checking for what? The Eridanus rebels moved out a long time ago, and the Covenant Loyalists have no reason to start a base here."

"Well, the Captain isn't so gung ho. And the UNSC Spec Ops Command isn't either. You're going in."

I sighed, and we both turned to go, just as I powered down the desktop, and picked up my laptop for notes. I yanked Dana from the holopad, and slotted her into the laptop. She appeared on the Dell crest, a feature I'd installed myself. She didn't take up much power, and she could make better use of the laptop than I probably could.

Sara and I turned the corner and started up the stairs. Space seemed to awe me everytime we walked past a window. There were so many stars, many more than in Australia. In anywhere on Earth, actually. It felt like being trapped in a giant snowglobe, where it was eternally night.

I mulled over the recent conversation between Sara and I. She was only really comfortable around me, and I'd poked her to join me in SSS. She eventually did, but was still finding it a bit surreal. I remebered those carefree days back in 2543, before the Covenant. We'd often just lie in the grass on a starry night, and just be in awe of the stars, and of space...

I often wondered what the world would've been, if the Covenant had been a peaceful coalition towards us. But it was pointless. Wondering was left for quiet contemplation. We had work to do.


	3. Chapter 2: Anticipation

**Chapter 2 - Anticipation**

_ "Fortune favours the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur_

The UH-60 Black Eagle plummeted through the atmosphere. A more compartmentalised design, the Black Eagle resembled more a Helicopter than a standard Pelican. It had 4 hydrogen thrusters, much like the Pelican, but for night and microgravity insertions, the Black Eagle had unfoldable rotor blades on its top. Combined with the thrusters, it allowed the Black Eagle to hover in the air higher than a standard Pelican, so that the aircraft was not as such a target. As the Black Eagle swept down to the surface, Sara and I fast roped down to the entrance to an abandoned, concealed entrance to the ancient Eridanus Rebel base. Captain Mitchell gave us a friendly salute, as the Black Eagle moved off to the other entrance on the opposite side.

The new ODST Ballistic Helmet was made up of two parts: the actual helmet, and the faceplate. The faceplate could slide in and out of the side of the helmet, sealing the helmet, with 10 minutes of air inside. The helmet itself was made up of ballistic reinforced kevlar and a gel layer, similar to that used in MJOLNIR armour. The standard ODST Ballistic armour was likewise: compartmented, with sealant foam, made up of reinforced kevlar with a much thicker gel layer, to protect from heavy impacts, as well as plasma.

The M7 Sub Machine Gun had also gone under numerous improvements. It was lighter and more compact, the stock and handgrip able to be folded, and the machine gun became more like a pistol at the side of an operative's leg.

The MA5C Assault Rifle had been perfected with a silencer, and an optional grenade launcher, which could launch fragmentation, plasma or newly developed EMP grenades.

We made our way towards the single door between us, and who knew what.

"Lieutenant Hua, Alpha, go."

I swung open the door and Sara burst inside.


	4. Mission Log 1 : Abandoned Base

[USER = ????]

[PASS = ???????]

[VERIFICATION=TRUE]

[START FILE]

Sara immediately flattened herself against the opposite wall. Ken joined her, and together they edged to the long corridor ahead. With NVG'S activated, they headed off into the darkness...

"Lieutenant! Find the generator and get it running, ASAP. We'll need power down here."

"Sir!"

The duo came to a large cross junction. Easily, 3 warthogs could have fit side by side. There were cutters, wrenches, jacks, and other tools that suggested they were in a vehicle factory.

But then -

"Ah, humans. It's fine Rosol, they're friends."

A lone Sanghelli stepped out of the darkness. Its blue armour signified it as the lowest ranking soldier, but still formidable nonetheless.

"It seems you've come to our research outpost."

"What?" Ken asked, but then the lights came on.

"Our research outpost, of course!" he repeated. "Didn't the Arbiter tell you this?"

"I dunno, he probably told it to Spartan-117 and other high ranking officials. Wait, I'll see if I can get confirmation from FLEETCOM."

Ken turned away and contacted Captain Mitchell.

"Sir! It appears there's a Sanghelli research outpost, they calim that the Arbiter told us about it. Can you get confirmation on that?"

"Roger."

Ken turned back to Sara and the Sanghelli. "The Captain's getting confirmation now."

"Excellent! Come, come, see our work." The Sanghelli trotted off down the junction, and turned left. Ken and Sara followed after he had.

A barrage of plasma fire opened up just as Ken turned. He quickly backtracked.

"Sir! It's an ambush, I think they're Sanghelli rebels!"

"Damn the bastards! Drop a NAV point, we're backing you up. The Black Eagle will be here in 5 with reinforcements. Most of the Sanghelli are peaceful with us now, but it seems we have some unrest among the ranks."

Ken blind fired with his SMG, hearing the flaring of energy shields. He tossed in a frag grenade. He heard it blow, and was sure he heard some Sanghelli dying cries. He poked his head out.

"Shit!" There was a stationary plasma cannon there. All the Sanghelli had good cover. Being a vehicle workshop, there were plenty of obselete Warthogs and Tanks for cover.

Just then, the Captain and Alex appeared at the other side of the doorway.

"Go loud!" the Captain shouted over the din, removing the silencer from his MA5C.

"EMP GRENADE!" Sara had ducked out, being momentarily shocked when the Sanghelli had attacked, but now wanting blood. The grenade launcher emitted a soft THWUMP as the EMP grenade sailed high in the air, then detonated.

The team's HUD's became warped, then adjusted. The Elite's energy shields weren't so resilient, and without their shielding, they were defenceless.

Ken spotted racks of fuel barrels at the far end, and fuel had spilt all over the place. He aimed at the rack, hoped that some of the barrels hadn't been opened, and fired.

FWOOOOM!

The garage erupted in flames. The team put their heads down as a giant fireball erupted from the side of the garage. The heat was almost unbearable. When it had all quietened down, Ken opened his eyes.

Sara and the Captain were the first recovering. Alex was wiping his visor. They inspected the Sanghelli corpses with amazement.

"Wow. Guess they really didn't know about petrol." Mitchell smiled. "Well done Ken, that shot was spectacular." He turned back to the entrance. "Alright team, let's get to that extraction point."


	5. Chapter 3: Uprising

Chapter 3 - Uprising

The team made it to the extraction point. As the Black Eagle descended upon the asteroid's surface, their intel officer, Eva, popped up on their HUD's. "Sanghelli rebels have sprung up everywhere in Alliance colonies. Although it seems the majority of the Sanghelli forces are still allied with us, we have some clean up work in this system. Harvest has come under attack: Utgard is currently under seige, but the marines posted there are holding the city; barely. They've got some bombs ticking; a team of Spec Ops Elites are taking care of one, you guys are taking another. The tangos are holed up in a Chinese restauraunt. We're landing you on the roof. The good thing about this whole mess, is that the Elites don't have their armour, so they don't have Energy Shielding. Don't let them come close enough to rip you apart and you guys should be okay. However, they are brilliant tacticians, so watch your back every step of the way."

The Black Eagle was now safely back in the ship, and it made a jump for Harvest. The team immediately headed for the briefing room. Here, Eva was now standing in front of them, instead of on their HUD's.

"Okay, your initial insertion into the restaurant will have to be stealthy. Take them down before they can radio in. As long as you've got that down,you should be okay. However, the bomb is in the middle of the bottom floor, where there are multiple floors up surrounding it. You'll have to cover the person defusing the bomb, but they'll still have to do it FAST. There's ample cover, seeing as it is a Chinese restaurant slash casino, but smoke grenades are still highly recommended. We're having one more on your team, a Sanghelli loyal to the Arbiter named Thca 'Uhkad, he'll be your demo expert for this one. He'll have full armour, but will still be vulnerable when defusing. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am!" The team chorused. A Sanghelli then took the stage.

"Greetings, I am Thca 'Uhkad. I'm your demo expert. Hopefully I'll be able to accompany yu on future missions." He bowed, and the team clapped.

At that moment, the ship came out of Slipspace, being in geosynchrous orbit above Utgard.

"Load up, team, we're going in!" Captain Mitchell led the team, with Sanghelli at the back, to the Black Eagle.


	6. Chapter 4: Freeway, My Way

**Chapter 4 – Freeway, My Way**

The Black Eagle was a sudden patch of darkness across the Harvest night sky. Although Harvest's populations had increased considerably in the last few years, the freeways were still very much deserted, except for a few cars.

As the Black Eagle closed in on the city centre however, much of Utgard was in chaos. Pile ups, abandoned cars and then –

"LOOK OUT!" The pilot swerved to avoid a rocket, which was quickly followed by another, destroying the rotor blades.

"FUCK!" The pilot struggled to get it upright for some sort of a landing, but the team crashed sideways into the dirt beside the freeway.

[USER=????]

[PASS=???]

[AUTH ACCEPTED]

[START FILE]

Ken opened his eyes. He saw their Sanghelli friend in the distance, while Sara had been checking his vitals. He let her check, then pushed her off.

"I'm fine, I'm fine..." he groaned, as he stretched for anything broken. Nothing yet, but he knew he had a heap of bruises.

His electronic equipment, however, hadn't fared so well. His earpiece simply transmitted static, and his HUD was flickering. He shook his helmet a few times; it dimmed, but was no longer flickering. He looked around; Mitchell was up, trying to see whether the pilot was still alive; Alex was still out cold, and Sara was sitting on the ground in front of him, hugging her knees.

He gave a reassuring smile, then gently stood up. "What's our status with COM?"

Mitchell turned. "We have no radio. We have to get in touch with any UNSC forces ASAP. We've got a long hike to do people, possibly through hostile territory. Eyes sharp!"


End file.
